Duck Tales

A new group of ducks joined us in April and at night, the two separate flocks are put in together. In the morning, they all drink at the water bowl as one harmonious group. Yet, as the day begins, an unspoken signal passes between them, and they inevitably separate back into their original flocks. The first group will often head off up the field, only to return shortly, seeming to gather up the second flock as if rounding up stragglers. Our runner ducks, in particular, are incredibly sensitive; I always think of them as the giraffes of the duck world, moving and thinking as a single, elegant entity when being herded. They require plenty of space and respond not to force, but to gentle guidance—you can change their direction simply by looking where you want them to go and indicating the path with an extended arm. When people here are having a hard day, Scotty, the Morven Farm Coordinator will ask if they’d like to observe the ducks, knowing it’s hard to feel anything but pure, uncomplicated joy when in their presence.

Ginny Bayman, long-term co-worker